This application claims the benefit of the Korean Application No. P2002-22549 filed on Apr. 24, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vegetable compartment in a refrigerator for fresh storage of vegetable.
2. Background of the Related Art
The refrigerator is an appliance for fresh, and long time storage of food. The refrigerator is provided with food storage chambers therein, which is always kept at a low temperature by means of a refrigerating cycle for maintaining a fresh state of the food.
The food storage chambers are provided with different characteristics so that the user selects a storage method suitable for different kinds of food taking kinds, characteristics and storage periods of the food into account. Of the food storage chambers, typical ones are the freezing chamber, the refrigerating chamber, and the vegetable compartment.
Of the storage chambers, the vegetable compartment is provided with optimal temperature and humidity for fresh storage of vegetable having a storage period shorter than processed food, always. The vegetable compartment is an independent space partitioned with a partition in the refrigerating chamber which is in general at a low temperature. A related art vegetable compartment in the refrigerator will be described.
The related art vegetable compartment in the refrigerator is a separate space partitioned from other space of the refrigerating chamber by a partition plate, also serving as a shelf, on a lower side of the refrigerating chamber. The vegetable compartment is provided with a container, top of which is opened, for putting vegetable therein. Since the container is right below the partition plate, the partition plate actually serves as a cover of the container, for covering the opened top side of the container.
For using the vegetable compartment, the user is required to open a door to the refrigerator, pull out the container, and put vegetable into the container through an inlet to the container, i.e., a part not covered with the partition plate of the opened top part of the container. However, if the container is pulled out longer than a predetermined length from the vegetable compartment, a bottom plate of the vegetable compartment can not support the contained. Therefore, for preventing the container from falling off the vegetable compartment, it is required that the pulling out length of the container is limited. However, the limitation of the pulling out length of the container substantially reduces a size of the inlet to the vegetable compartment too, which disables storage of large sized vegetable storage.
In the meantime, if it is intended to store large sized vegetable by all means, the user is required to cut the vegetable into pieces, or remove the partition plate, put the vegetable into the container and place the partition plate again.
However, the cutting of vegetable deteriorates freshness of the vegetable and can not keep proper tastes of the vegetable.
In the case of removal of the partition plate, since the partition plate also serves as a shelf, it is required to remove all the food stored on the partition plate, remove the partition plate, put the vegetable into the container, and return the partition plate and the food to original positions, which is very cumbersome.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a vegetable compartment in a refrigerator that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a vegetable compartment in a refrigerator, in which an inlet structure of a container is improved for convenient putting of large sized vegetable into the container.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the vegetable compartment in a refrigerator includes a container, a guide member, and a partition member. The container has an opening in a top side for pushing in or pulling out of the refrigerator. The guide member is fitted to the container along a direction the container is pushed in or pulled out and has a sloped part adjacent to a door of the refrigerator, which is sloped such that the sloped part becomes the higher as it goes in a direction the container is pushed in. The partition member in the refrigerator for covering a top of the container has a first plate adjacent to the door for enlarging an opened area of the opening as the first plate moves up guided by the sloped part when the container is pulled out.
The guide member includes, for an example, at least one first rail fitted to a side surface of the container. The guide member includes, for an example, the sloped part, and a horizontal part extended from an end at a high side of the sloped part to a direction the container is pushed in.
The sloped part includes a moderate straight slope rising along a direction the container is pushed in, or a moderate curved slope rising along a direction the container is pushed in. The first rail is fitted to each of opposite side surfaces of the container.
The partition member includes, for an example, a second plate, a first plate, and a link member. The second plate provided to be pushed in or pulled out of the refrigerator, for covering a part of the opening of the container. The first plate connected to the second plate, such that the first plate can make relative motion with respect to the second plate, for enlarging the opened area of the opening when the container is pulled out. The link member extended a predetermined length from the first plate such that a part thereof is in contact with the first rail, for moving up or down the first plate when the container is pushed in or pulled out, respectively. The first plate and the second plate are coupled with a hinge, or connected with a connection member of a flexible material.
The partition member further includes, for an example, a second rail fitted to an underside of the first plate for making smooth sliding in a state a part of the container is in contact therewith when the container is pushed in or pulled out. In this instance, the container further includes, for an example, a second roller for making a contain movement smooth as the second roller is in contact with the second rail and slides thereon.
The partition member further includes, for an example, a stopper at an end of the second rail for preventing the second roller from failing off the second rail and limiting a maximum pulling out range of the container when the container is pulled out to the maximum.
The link member is, for an example, in contact with the guide member, and includes, for an example, a first roller for reducing friction between the guide member and the link member as the first roller rotates when the container is pushed in or pulled out.
The vegetable compartment in a refrigerator of the present invention further includes a supplementary contained under the container for pushing in or pulling out of the refrigerator.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.